Ardent Residential Care Home

This key question has been rated inadequate. We found breaches of regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, safe effective staffing, safe environments and infection prevention and control. The provider lacked effective systems to ensure lessons were learnt and outcomes used to promote sustained improvement. People were not protected from the risk of harm as their care needs had not been robustly assessed and mitigation was not always in place to manage risk. Systems and processes were not in place to ensure people were safe from risks associated with the environment they lived in. The service was not clean or hygienic and had unpleasant odours throughout. People were not cared for by enough staff or staff that had the skills and knowledge required to care for them safely. We found there were areas requiring improvement in relation to the management of medicines stock.

This key question is rated requires improvement. We found a breach in relation to consent to care and treatment. People’s rights were not protected as the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were not being followed. People’s care had not been planned with them and care plans were not sufficiently detailed to enable staff to provide safe, appropriate care which met people’s needs and preferences. People were not always supported to access health professionals, and we were not assured that people received care that was evidence based and in line with best practice guidance

The service was not well-led and continues to be rated requires improvement. We identified 5 breaches of regulation at this assessment which included continued breaches in relation to safe environments and good governance. The provider had continued to fail to implement effective governance and accountability processes. Quality assurance measures were not robust and had not been effective in identifying concerns and prompting action to improve the service. There was limited understanding of how to make and sustain required improvements. The lack of competent, effective leadership at the service has led to serious failings in relation to cleanliness and safety of the environment, safe care and treatment, medicines management, ensuring people’s rights were protected and governance systems and process at the service.